Social Inclusion: Gender and Equity in Education SWAPs in South Asia, Bangladesh Case Study

This study, commissioned by the Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) of UNICEF, is part of a three-country research effort (Nepal and Sri Lanka are the other two countries) to understand in detail how gender and social disparity/exclusion are being addressed in a selection of education Sector-Wide Approaches (SWAps) in South Asia, in order to inform good practice within those countries and to learn lessons for other countries in the region and beyond. The three case studies will be synthesized into a major report that explores how educational programmes supported by SWAps are conceptualizing and addressing issues of social exclusion and gender disparity, and with what results. The education SWAp considered in this study is PEDP-II (Primary Education Development Programme, Phase II). For the study, the researchers reviewed relevant documents and interviewed 60 persons from the government, donor partners, NGOs and other key organizations.